NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (8GB GDDR6) vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Max-Q) (8GB GDDR6) – how close is Max-Q to the real deal

Have you ever wondered, why do manufacturers put Max-Q versions of some video card in their devices? Well, the answer is obvious – they generally produce less heat and can provide headroom for more exotic designs. This is exactly what the device we are going to use to represent the RTX 2080 Max-Q is built around. It is called the Acer Predator Triton 500 and it has a slim and light form factor, comparable to some ultrabooks. On the other side of the pitch, however, stays a rather larger laptop, member of the same family – the Predator Triton 900. It also has something revolutionary about its design, but this has nothing to do with this article, so you can read our full review if you are interested.

You can have a look at our Top Laptop Graphics Ranking to see these cards and even more.

Specs overview

NVIDIA uses basically the same chip for either of the GPUs, utilizing 2944 CUDA cores inside of it. However, since the TDP of these graphics cards is very different – 150W for RTX 2080 and 90W for RTX 2080 Max-Q, they work at very different clock speeds. Expectedly, the GeForce RTX 2080 has a higher base and Turbo frequency than its Max-Q version – 1380 MHz to 990 MHz Base and 1590 MHz to 1230 MHz in Turbo mode. Additionally, the memory frequency takes a hit with 1751 MHz for the RTX 2080 and 1500 MHz for the RTX 2080 Max-Q. They also differ in their ray tracing capabilities, however, we don’t know exact numbers yet. Otherwise, as we said, the graphics cards are the same – 12nm manufacturing process and a 256-bit memory bus.

Benchmarks

Here we’re going to test the pure performance of these GPUs. Our chart below shows how sheer power is helping the RTX 2080 perform better than its Max-Q opponent.


Gaming tests:

Expectedly, the gaming tests proved the results we got from the benchmarks, rendering the RTX 2080 the clear winner in this showdown.

GTA-V-benchmarks

Grand Theft Auto V (GTA 5)Full HD, High (Check settings)Full HD, Very High (Check settings)Full HD, MAX (Check settings)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080144 fps88 fps70 fps
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q113 fps61 fps49 fps

 

Far Cry 5Full HD, Normal (Check settings)Full HD, High (Check settings)Full HD, Ultra (Check settings)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080129 fps128 fps118 fps
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q116 fps107 fps101 fps

 

rise-of-the-tomb-raider

Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016)Full HD, Medium (Check settings)Full HD, Very High (Check settings)Full HD, MAX (Check settings)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080163 fps106 fps96 fps
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q150 fps83 fps56 fps

Shadow of the Tomb RaiderFull HD, Medium (Check settings)Full HD, High (Check settings)Full HD, MAX (Check settings)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080116 fps111 fps80 fps
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q102 fps98 fps65 fps

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon WildlandsFull HD, High (Check settings)Full HD, Very High (Check settings)Full HD, Ultra (Check settings)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080121 fps108 fps73 fps
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q97 fps85 fps57 fps

Conclusion

There is no second thought on this – GeForce RTX 2080 is the clear winner in this one. However, this is not to undervalue the performance of its Max-Q sibling. Especially given the fact that it revolutionises the market, providing an opportunity for way thinner and lighter gaming laptops.

All laptops equipped with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (8GB GDDR6)

All laptops equipped with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q (8GB GDDR6)

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Superguy
Superguy
4 years ago

Would have been interesting to see 2070 (non-Max-Q) in there for comparison. Given the premium even for the Max-Q 2080, it’d be cool to see how that compares to see if it’s worth the money of the 2070.